On TV: Lovin’ the Spurs & TNT’s “Inside The NBA”

The slogan for TNT is “We Know Drama,” which the end of Thursday’s Spurs-Nuggets game more than provided.

San Antonio’s 113-112 win over Denver (via a charge the Spurs’ Manu Ginobili took against the Nuggets’ Carmelo Anthony) was their first of seven appearances on TNT this season. It’s also the first of three-straight weeks that the Spurs, owners of the NBA’s best record of 22-3 (as of Dec. 17), will be on TNT

San Antonio travels to Orlando next Thursday at 7 p.m. and then faces Southwest Division rivals Dallas (“The best team in Texas” Barkley says) in Big D at 8:30 p.m. on Dec. 30.

Thursday’s game telecast ended at 12:33 a.m. but those viewers who up stayed until 1:12 a.m. (Central time), like this reporter, remembered why “Inside the NBA” is the show that’s worth losing sleep over.

Right now, the only shows on cable that are 1) live, 2) wildly entertaining, and 3) unpredictable are “Watch What Happens. Live!” on Bravo and TNT’s longtime Thursday night staple featuring Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley.

The beauty of “Inside the NBA” is the midnight hour. Once a game goes past that time and slightly punch-drunk after watching games for five-plus hours, the trio becomes freewheeling and fearless in making comments that command attention.

What did TNT’s power trio say? Well, this was just in the show’s first seven minutes, but things like:

Smith saying the Spurs “insult” other teams:Smith: “They basically say, ‘most teams are dumb.’ Because they say, ‘we are going to take good shots every possession and we don’t think you’re disciplined enough to do that to beat us. We don’t think that you’re smart enough to make good plays for 48 minutes.’”Johnson responds: “They insult their opponents?”Smith: “They bank on the fact that they don’t have as much talent as everyone. But you will take dumb shots and quick shots and play out of character. To me, that’s insulting if I’m another NBA player.”

Barkley said Tim Duncan is the best power forward ever:Barkley: “I hate saying this but (Duncan) is the best power forward ever. I feel bad for Karl Malone because now he’s down to No. 3 after me.”Johnson responds: “Humility is overrated.”

Barkley throwing out this question: Is Ginobili the NBA’s best-ever foreign player?Smith: “You think he’s better than Dirk Nowitzki? Or Drazen Petrovic?”Barkley: “I’ve got great respect for Drazen, but this kid’s better. Do you think Drazen would have drawn the charge?”Smith: “Drazen would have had 40 (points) tonight.”Barkley: “Drazen was a great, great scorer, but he would have never drawn a charge. He’s never drawn a charge in his life”

Also, what other program, or, more specifically, what commentator could get away with an exchange like the following:

Barkley: “Listen, I told you Kenny you couldn’t get a pin up (Harrington’s) ass with a jackhammer.”Johnson: “(There are) certain things you can say at 2 o’clock in the morning.”Barkley: “Jackhammer?”Johnson: “Exactly!”

A big shout-out has to go to the behind-the-scenes talent start up “Inside” on the stunningly remodeled Studio J set (it looks great and distinctive in high-def, unlike all those monitor-heavy & nightclub-lit studio sets across the sports studio-show universe), that give the show an extra spark.